Baked breads, which are starchy carbohydrates, play a small role in our daily eating pattern. Starch makes up one fourth of our daily lunch and dinner and one-third to one half of our daily breakfast. However that starch is more than just breads. It’s also oatmeal, cereal, rice, potatoes, beans, and other starchy vegetables.

Sometimes we eat a piece of whole grain toast, a homemade muffin, or a mini English muffin for breakfast as a starch in place of oatmeal, whole grain cereal, or whole grain pancakes. We might eat a bread product for lunch as a sandwich or an accompaniment to a soup, again as a starch in place of a starchy vegetable.

We occasionally enjoy a whole grain dinner roll or other bread product like a tortilla as a starch for dinner. After all, who can live in Texas without enjoying tacos or enchiladas?

Breads are Carbohydrates

We are eating less starchy foodsmade with refined grains because research shows that eating fewer poor quality starchy foods, along with less red meat, less highly processed foods, and less sugar decreases the risk of getting Type 2 diabetes.

This is in conjunction with eating more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fish, and poultry. We changed to this healthy lifestyle because hubby Steve was getting too close to prediabetes.

Carbohydrates are essential for human health. Carbohydrates are one of the three macronutrients that the human body needs to function properly. The other two are fat and protein. For more information on fats, check out this post on The Truth about Dietary Fats.

According to the Dietary Reference Intakes published by the USDA, 45% – 65% of your daily calories should come from carbohydrates.

Your body needs carbohydrates to:

Fuel the body

Provide body energy

Support intestinal health and elimination

Provide glucose to all cells and tissues

Store in muscles and liver for later energy use

Help proper functioning of heart, brain, kidneys, and central nervous system

What are carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates are the sugars, fibers, and starches found in:

Grains

Fruits

Vegetables

Beans and legumes

Milk products

Wow! No wonder they are such an important part of a healthy diet. Carbohydrates provide the body with glucose which gets converted to fuel for supporting bodily functions and energy for physical activity.

Eating any kind of carbohydrate raises blood sugar levels, but it is important to remember that all carbohydrates are not the same. Your body digests and absorbs highly processed foods, sugars, and refined grains quickly resulting in a blood sugar spike. In contrast, your body digests complex carbohydrates like whole grains and high fiber foods (vegetables, fruits, and beans) more slowly, limiting their ability to cause blood sugar spikes.

Good or complex carbohydrates are:

Higher in nutrients

Lower in calories

Have no refined sugars

Contain no refined grains

Higher in fiber

Lower in saturated fat

Lower in sodium

Very low in cholesterol

Have little or no trans fat

Bad or simple carbohydrates are:

Lower in nutrients

Higher in calories

Full of refined sugars

Full of refined grains

Lower in fiber

Can be higher in saturated fat

Higher in sodium

Can be higher in cholesterol

Can have trans fat

Trim portions

The safest way to eat carbohydrates like whole grain breads as well as tortillas, pasta, oatmeal, granola, or breakfast cereals is by being mindful of portions. I admit that this is not always easy as breads are so tasty, especially when homemade.

We Use Gluten and Gluten-Free Whole Grains

Baked goods made with nutrient-rich whole grains are more satisfying and can help you eat lighter overall. Whole grains like wheat, rice, oats, corn, and barley are high in protein, fiber, B vitamins, antioxidants, and zinc.

Eating whole grains provides many healthy benefits:

Reduces risk of Type 2 diabetes

Helps prevent heart disease

Helps decrease LDL cholesterol (“bad” cholesterol)

Decreases triglycerides

Reduces risk of colon cancer

Decreases hypertension or high blood pressure

Here at Your Daily Food Choices, we enjoy the pleasures of choosing from many whole grains, from those that contain gluten and from many that are gluten-free. We don’t have a gluten issue so we use whole wheat and rye in many of our baked goods.

We also bake with gluten-free grains like corn, millet, oats, and sorghum as we realize that many people are gluten-intolerant.

What are Grains?

So, what are grains? Grains are the hard, edible seeds or fruit of grasses grown for food. There are many varieties of grains with the most common being wheat, rice, oats, and corn.

Grain seeds have three main parts:

The hard outer shell or bran

The inner core or germ that provides nutrients when the seed grows

The inner endosperm that is the starchy food source for seed growth

Types of grains:

Whole grains: Whole grains have not had theirbran or germ removed during milling. All of the important nutrients like potassium, magnesium, and selenium are still present in whole grains and they have more fiber. Examples are brown rice, popcorn, and whole wheat flour.

Refined grains: Unlike whole grains, refined grains have had the bran and/or germ removed during milling, giving them a finer texture and longer shelf life. But the milling also removes many of the nutrients and fiber. Examples are white flour, white rice, white rice flour, corn flour, and white bread. Many highly processed foods like cereals, crackers, pastries, cakes, and cookies are made with refined grains.

Enriched grains: Most refined grains are enriched which means that some of the lost nutrients are added back during further processing. Many are also fortified which means that other vitamins and minerals that didn’t exist in the grain have been added. Enriched grains still lack fiber.

Gluten-Free Grains: Gluten-free grains are whole grains that do not contain gluten. Gluten is a protein in wheat, barley, and rye that is difficult for some people to digest. Other people are allergic or sensitive to gluten. People with these conditions need to eat a gluten-free diet with products made from gluten-free grains.

Which grains are gluten-free?

It may surprise you, but most grains are gluten-free. All grains, whether gluten or gluten-free are most nutritious when consumed as whole grains that have all of their bran, germ, and endosperm.

Grains with gluten:

Barley

Rye

Triticale

Wheat

Gluten-free grains:

Amaranth

Buckwheat

Corn

Millet

Oats

Quinoa (pseudo-grain)

Popcorn

Rice

Sorghum

Teff

Wild Rice

How to Find Whole Grain Breads in the Store

When choosing bread in the store, look for one that has the word “whole” as the first word in the ingredient list. While this may not guarantee that you are purchasing a healthy bread product as even whole grain breads can have up to 20 hard to pronounce ingredients listed. But it is a start.

Don’t be fooled by the marketing claims on the packages. Manufacturers try very hard to make their packages products look and sound healthy.

Beware of these terms on packages:

100% whole wheat

Multigrain

Wheat bread

Bran

Wheat germ

Organic flour

Unbleached wheat flour

Look for whole grain breads that have a short list of ingredients, hopefully ones that you recognize and can pronounce.

Look out for added sugars or sugar substitutes. If you see corn syrup, an ingredient ending in “-ose”, or cane sugar in the first 3 ingredients, put that bread back on the shelf and find another.

Don’t be fooled by the dark color of bread thinking that it is made with whole grains. Most are, but some manufacturers add molasses and food coloring to their refined bread products to make them look darker.

Another healthy option is to look for breads made from sprouted grains. Ezekiel bread is an example. The nutrients in sprouted grains are easier to digest. These breads spoil quickly so keep them in the refrigerator or freezer.

Best bet is to buy from artisan bakers or make your own.

Common Types of Baked Breads

Bread is one of the foods humans have prepared since ancient Egyptian times. Knowing how to bake bread is an invaluable skill and is helpful in making all kinds of other baked goods like cakes, cookies, and pastries.

Quick breads and Yeast breads

Breads are either classified as quick breads or yeast breads. While they may have a similar appearance, the methods for creating and the ingredients used are different.

Quick breads use ingredients other than yeast or eggs as leavening agents, most common being baking powder and baking soda. Quick breads do not need a lot of time to make as they do not need to rise before baking.

Common varieties of quick breads:

Biscuits

Cheese breads

Cornbreads

Crackers

Fruits breads

Muffins

Popovers

Scones

Soda breads

Some donuts

Some pizza crusts

Tortillas

Yeast breads use yeast as the leavening agent. A sweetener like sugar or honey is used as a catalyst to activate the yeast. Yeast breads need to rise until doubled in size before baking. They may also be allowed to rise a second time after being shaped into the desired form of bread.

Yeast breads have a lower fat and sugar content than quick breads. Yeast breads take more work as they require kneading plus time to rise. Quick breads are often topped with a frosting or glaze, making them even higher in calories.

Common varieties of yeast breads:

Baguettes

Bagels

Breadsticks

Brioche

Challah

Ciabatta

Croissants

Dinner rolls

English muffins

Hot cross buns

Naan

Pretzels

Rye

Sandwich breads

Sourdough

Sweet breads

White breads

Some pizza crusts

Some donuts

15 Quick and Easy Tips for Making Baked Breads

When mixing a bread product, unless the recipe tells you otherwise, mix batters gently by just folding the ingredients together. Over mixing can lead to a tough product.

Read the recipe and instructions before you begin making baked product to make sure you have all the ingredients on hand as well as the correct size of pan.

Love chocolate? Who doesn’t! To get the greatest health benefits from chocolate, replace conventional chocolate chips with high quality organic dark chocolate chips.

When it comes to baking breads, develop a “do it right” attitude. Baking demands accuracy and precision, especially when it comes to measuring and assembling the proper ingredients. Unlike other kinds of cooking, such as soups or casseroles, with baking you are not as free to improvise or substitute ingredients.

Before measuring sticky ingredients like honey or molasses, first coat the measuring spoon or cup with cooking spray. Then just watch that sticky ingredient slide out with ease. Also makes cleanup a snap.

When buying baking pans, purchase light-colored pans with a dull finish. Darker pans absorb and retain more heat which causes the exterior of the baked goods to get too brown or even burn before the inside is done. If all you have is dark metal pans don’t fret. Simply lower the oven temperature by 25 degrees and start checking for doneness a few minutes early.

Making a quick bread recipe that calls for nuts and you aren’t a nut fan? You can just skip the nuts or try substituting oatmeal or dried fruit for the nuts to help keep the crunchy texture.

Store flours, especially whole grain varieties, in airtight containers in the refrigerator or freezer. Be sure to measure out the amount the recipe calls for and bring the flour to room temperature before using.

Make sure the oven racks are in the proper position before heating the oven. Baked items like quick breads, muffins, and yeast breads bake best in the center of the oven and in the center of the rack. If making two batches of muffins, use the middle and lower racks. Never bake on the top rack.

Always take the time to preheat your oven to the temperature called for in the recipe. Allow up to 15 minutes to make sure the oven reaches the proper temperature. Placing breads into an oven that is still heating can cause problems with color, texture, and rise. Get into the habit of setting the oven temperature, first thing, before starting to make the baked bread.

Once your baked bread is in the oven, don’t open the oven door until it’s time to check for doneness. Check quick breads 10 to 15 minutes before the recommended baking time to see if the loaves are getting too brown. Cover lightly with tin foil if they are browning too fast.

When adjusting oven racks, develop the habit of always using an oven mitt when touching an oven rack. Remember that old saying about an ounce of prevention, that oven mitt will go a long way just in case the oven was already turned on!

Quick breads are done when a tester or toothpick inserted near the center of the loaves comes out clean.

When baking any item that needs removing from the baking pan like quick breads, muffins, or yeast breads, let the item cool for 7 to 10 minutes in the pan. Then remove the item from the pan and transfer it to a wire rack to finish cooling. This allows air to circulate around the baked item and let’s steam escape.

While it is tempting to slice into freshly baked loaves of bread while they are still warm, don’t do it. Breads need to cool completely for their structure to set. Slicing into warm loaves of bread causes tearing and mashing.

Wrapping up on Homemade Breads and Muffins

We reviewed that homemade breads and muffins are carbohydrates and chatted about why your body needs carbohydrates. We talked a lot about whole grains, what they are, which grains are gluten-free, and how to find whole grain products in stores. We reviewed common types of breads and we gave you several tips for making baked breads.

There is so much more we could discuss, but now the choice is yours. You need to decide if you want to make homemade bread products and enjoy their intoxicating aroma or buy your breads from the store. Let us know if you have any questions.

Need more information for healthy homemade bread products, carbohydrates, or whole grains? Below are a few articles for you to check out.

We Appreciate You!

Thanks for stopping by and letting us share a little about our healthy philosophy for making homemade breads and muffins.

We are here for you as a guide and as a friend. Let us know how we can help you embrace a healthy lifestyle.

Here’s to lower calorie, great tasting recipes, and living well! And remember, what you eat really matters!

Linda and Steve

P.S. Don’t miss a thing! Enter your email address below to get tasty recipes and health & wellness tips every week! We hope you will join us on our healthy living journey.

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Health Disclaimer:The content shared on YourDailyFoodChoices.com is for informational and educational purposes only. We are not professional health care providers, dietitians, or nutritionists. Nothing you read on this site should be construed as medical advice and should not be treated as such. All blog posts and pages are solely our personal experiences and opinions and should not be interpreted as an attempt to offer a medical opinion or otherwise engage in the practice of medicine. If you have any specific questions about any medical matter you should consult your professional health care provider team.

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Hi and Welcome!

I'm Linda and we are enthusiastically changing the way we eat. Saying "goodbye" to sugar and highly processed foods and saying "hello" to natural ingredients. As a result, I'm giving our family favorite recipes a healthy make-over while retaining their awesome great taste. Read more about our food Journey ...

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Best Selling Author

Linda Thornbrugh, the best selling co-author of Lean Bodies Cookbook, is the creator and main writer for Your Daily Food Choices. This food blog is dedicated to helping you make the best food choices possible while still enjoying all of the delicious, mouthwatering recipes you crave and love. Be sure to check out the in-depth resource guides, one for each of the nine recipe categories that appear on the blog. Find links to guides in Start Here …

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Medical Disclaimer

The content shared on YourDailyFoodChoices.com is for informational and educational purposes only. We are not professional health care providers, dietitians, or nutritionists. Nothing you read on this site should be construed as medical advice and should not be treated as such. If you have any specific questions about any medical matter you should consult your professional health care provider team.